Energy of the future

How Vienna is becoming a hydrogen pioneer

This is what a modern tanker looks like. These trailers are used to transport hydrogen.(Bild: © FOTObyHOFER/Christian Hofer)

In order to become independent of fossil and therefore Russian gas as quickly as possible, a lot is currently being invested in alternatives. Vienna is a pioneer here

Austria's dependence on fossil fuels is still enormous. In the field of mobility, hydrogen could be an alternative to diesel, petrol or electricity. You don't need pipelines from Russia or tankers on the world's oceans to produce it. So if vehicle fleets are converted to sustainable fuels, this protects the environment.

Companies such as IKEA with delivery vans, the MA48 with a refuse collection vehicle and Strabag with a wheel loader are among the customers.(Bild: Wien Energie/FOTObyHOFER/Christian Hofer)

The "Krone" was able to see for itself how this can work and where hydrogen is already being used in mobility at a meeting of industry experts at the Wiener Netze site in Simmering. This is where Wien Energie and Wiener Netze have opened the first hydrogen production facility and filling station in Vienna.

But what are the advantages? Hydrogen shows its strengths in vehicles with a high payload. Due to their weight, trucks with electric drives tend to run out of juice on inclines or long journeys - and they also have to stand for a long time to recharge. "Hydrogen is much more efficient here and refueling only takes a few minutes," says Johannes Jungbauer, Head of the Renewable Hydrogen Department at Wien Energie.

Hydrogen expert Johannes Jungbauer (right) showed the "Krone" the system.(Bild: Wien Energie/FOTObyHOFER/Christian Hofer)

Companies such as IKEA with delivery vans, MA48 with a refuse collection vehicle and Strabag with a wheel loader are among the customers. They are already testing these vehicles in practice. Wiener Linien will also soon be putting its first buses into regular service. Hydrogen for the equivalent of 60 buses or trucks is currently produced in Simmering every day. Only renewable electricity from wind turbines in Burgenland is used for the energy-intensive production process - not a single watt is lost. Jungbauer: "With its expertise in this area, Vienna is already one of the pioneers in Europe."